At just 23, Clémence Fundiko Minja—better known as Clem Cléopâtre—is making waves in Goma’s fragile cultural scene. Rapping in French, she closed out the women-led festival Musika na Kipaji (“women’s talent”), using her music to defy the violence that has shaped her childhood.
Eastern Congo has endured three decades of conflict, with Goma now under M23 rebel control and hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Yet the festival drew crowds of young people, offering a rare moment of joy and unity.
Organizers stressed that the arts can be a “weapon of peace,” and Clem echoed that message backstage: “All I want to convey in my music is peace, because that is what we don’t have. Peace is the foundation of everything we want.”
